The "Skinny-Train"

With my birthday being this past week, I managed to slightly over-indulge in food and drink. So I'm jumping back on the "skinny-train" per se this week. With that said, I've borrowed a few recipes from the website Skinnytaste.com, she's got some really great recipes over there!  I will also work hard this coming week to get a couple of super-yummy quinoa baked goods recipes up for you to try!

Feb 24, 2013 - Mar 2, 2013

Sun, Feb 24	Cajun Chicken Pasta Caesar salad
Mon, Feb 25	Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Tue, Feb 26	Chicken Tikka Masala With basmati rice Steamed broccoli
Wed, Feb 27	Left-overs
Thu, Feb 28	Spaghetti with meatballs and tomato sauce Caesar salad
Fri, Mar 1	Pizza with crudities
Sat, Mar 2	Crockpot Butter Chicken Basmati rice Naan bread Tomato & mozzarella salad

Slow cooking challenge

I've decided to challenge myself this week and come up with a plan for daily slow cooker recipes.  This feat is actually pretty easy with websites such as "The Crockin' Girls"!  Which is where many of the recipes came from.  I love using my slow cooker. It's just so convenient!  Throw your ingredients in early in the day, set it, then forget it!  Walk away, come back a few hours later, and you've got a fantastic meal!  This will be the first time I will attempt pizza in the crock pot.  I'm intrigued!  I will be making my own pizza dough, however, instead of using store-bought.  Feel free to modify any ingredients in any of the recipes to suit your own tastes.  I know I will be for the lentil and sausage stew.  I have never bought canned potatoes, nor will I ever.  Fresh potatoes, fresh carrots, and fresh zucchini will replace all the canned ingredients.  I will stick with canned tomatoes though.

I'm excited for this challenge, and hopefully you will be too!

Feb 17, 2013 - Feb 23, 2013

Sun, Feb 17	Crockpot barbecue pulled pork with chipotle spice rub Garlic mashed potatoes Vegetable of choice
Mon, Feb 18	Slow cooked pepper steak Steamed rice
Tue, Feb 19	Crockpot Bacon ranch chicken served over rotini Caesar salad
Wed, Feb 20	Left overs
Thu, Feb 21	Slow cooker garlic and brown sugar chicken Rice noodles Steamed broccoli
Fri, Feb 22	Crockpot Lentil and sausage stew Crusty bread
Sat, Feb 23	Crockin’ pizza! Crudities and dip

Time keeps on slipping...slipping...slipping...into the future!

My new year's resolution to get and stay organized, is slowly slipping out of my grasp!  Life seems to be getting in the way.  Meal planning has not been happening as planned.  And the organizational level of my house?  Well forget it...staying organized in any aspect of my life seems to be the most difficult right about now!  And we're only 1 month into the new year!  You'd think with all the inside time we've been having, due to the unbearable cold and frigid temperatures we've been experiencing, that I'd have more time to get and stay organized.  Definitely not with an active, and overly diva-ish, 3 year old running (and screaming) around the house most days!  I could only imagine how even more crazy things would be if I actually worked outside of the home!

I rushed to get together a meal plan for this upcoming week, including tonight (very last minute, I know), and honestly will probably have to be heading out to the store early this week for last minute ingredients.  The majority are very simple recipes.  Thursday night's Valentine's Day fondue will use store-bought fondue broth, already prepared chicken and beef cubes (you can buy them already cut up at the grocery store) and deveined, tail-off shrimp.  Also, Friday is usually pizza night in our home and I have been making my own pizza crust for years.  Feel free to make it even easier and order in, or buy a store-bought pizza and enjoy with a family movie night!  

Hopefully I can get my butt in gear this week and get back to some form of organization before Friday rolls around and life gets in the way again! 

Feb 10, 2013 - Feb 16, 2013

Sun, Feb 10	Easy chicken and shrimp gumbo Rice Side salad
Mon, Feb 11	Chicken spaghetti Caesar salad
Tue, Feb 12	Veggie burgers (bought from Costco) San Francisco garlic fries Crudities with homemade vegetable dip
Wed, Feb 13	Left-overs
Thu, Feb 14 Valentine's Day	Chinese fondue (beef, chicken, shrimp and vegetables) baguette and cheese slices (your choice) Chocolate fondue with fruit
Fri, Feb 15	Family pizza and a movie night!
Sat, Feb 16	Meatloaf in the Round Parmesan potato wedges Steamed broccoli and cauliflower

My apologies

Huge apologies to anyone who may be following my meal plans, but due to a business trip, I didn't end up getting one out for this week!  I'll be back at it again for next week!  Sorry!  Good news, I've got a few extra days to get some good meals together for the following week!  Feel free to just browse any past recipes that I have posted on and use them!